In an Interactive session with the ESPUVOICE, founder of ESPU IDOL, Mr Ovwero Emmanuel popularly known as Uncle Emma, a lecturer in the department of Science Lab Technology, Edo State Polytechnic Usen, unveils relevant information on ESPU IDOL SEASON 6; the Host for the event, the prizes to be won, the sponsors of the event and the various social media handles used by ESPU IDOL for publicity. Uncle Emma also disclosed origin of ESPU IDOL, the challenges the event has faced over the years and the significance of the event to the students of Edopoly.
Excerpts:
What’s your name and designation?
Mr Emmanuel Ovwero, I am a Science lab technologist, a lecturer and Micro Biologist in the Science Lab Technology Department, Edo State Polytechnic, Usen and also the Manager of ESPU IDOL and ESPU Campus Award
Can you give us a brief introduction of what ESPU IDOL is all about?
ESPU IDOL was established in the year 2016, I am the founder of ESPU IDOL. It first started and was formerly known as Edo State Polytechnic Talent Hunt before the name of the event was changed to ESPU IDOL. The very first Talent Hunt we conducted was season 1 and now season 6 is coming up in 2023. Over the years since we started the event Winners have acquired many benefits like publicity, payment of school fees, cash prizes and many more.
What gave you the inspiration to start up ESPU IDOL event?
It was my church, we were told to do a Talent Hunt to bring people together, we started the audition for the talent hunt and it was successful, since then we have been doing it annually. I felt the talent hunt was a good idea and decided to bring it to ESPU. At first I was doing it for only new intakes in order to get publicity. The initial aim was to make publicity for the school and since then the event has been growing.
When is ESPU IDOL Season 6 coming up?
Registration for ESPU IDOL Season 6 has started already. In fact, the first audition would begin on the 21st of January 2023 and it would end at February 2023. The main event which is ESPU IDOL Season 6 would start immediately after the matriculation of new students.
Can you tell us what ESPU IDOL Season 6 entails?
Yes, it is a one-month event that would begin on the 21st of January, 2023 and end at February 2023. In the Season 6 ESPU IDOL the students wouldn’t just display their talents alone, we are going to train and build them up. We have instructors that specialize in voice training. We will train them up to perfection, so that when people around the world hear their songs, they can recognize that they are artists from ESPU IDOL. This time around we will be giving prizes worth 500,000 so students would feel inspired and be motivated to showcase their talents.
Who is the Host for ESPU IDOL Season 6?
The Host for ESPU IDOL Season 6 is Antia Honeybell Anita, ND II student from the department of Mass Communication.
What Benefit and Prizes does the Winner of ESPU IDOL Season 6 stands to gain?
Winners tends to get publicity and go viral. When we first started we paid the Winners’ school fees but over time we added other benefits like products from companies of sponsors, cash prizes were also added to the awards. In the last Season, the First Winner “Precious Wonder” was given 200,000 naira and her school fees was paid, the second winner was Honeybell from Mass Communication department she was given a cash prices of 50,000 naira and her school fees was paid, the third winner Gloria got her school fees paid, she also got different products from brands and companies of sponsors. But in this ESPU IDOL Season 6 like I said earlier we will be giving prizes worth 500,000 to motivate the students.
How has ESPU IDOL contributed towards the Social growth of the Institution and of what significance is it to the Institution?
Before we started ESPU IDOL, many talented students left the school immediately after their ND programmes when they discover the school do not have a platform where they can develop themselves and showcase their abilities, because apart from being educated a lot of these talented students wants to build up their talents and make it their career, they move to other schools where they felt they have better opportunities to develop themselves and showcase their abilities to the world, a place where they can get not just a platform but also an audience to listen to them. During that period, we lost a lot talented students to schools that the students felt can help them build up their careers.
But since the emergence of ESPU IDOL we have been able to retain, build up and train a lot of talented students over the years. We have also been able to give opportunities to talented students and made them believe they can also develop their talents and build their careers here in Edo State Polytechnic with the help of ESPU IDOL. The event as a whole would also let the world know that Edo State Polytechnic can measure up to other schools in terms of social activities.
What does the students of the Edo State Polytechnic stand to benefit from the event?
ESPU IDOL gives the students of Edo State Polytechnic a platform to showcase their talents, it gives a chance to those students who have a voice that can reach out to millions of people around the world, there was no platform on ground for that before, but we can help them by giving them that chance to reach out to people all over the world and also promote them through our various social media handles. Our publicity is very high, we can reach out to thousands and millions of people around the world, the students gets to interact and be exposed to people from all walks of life.
Can you share with us some of the challenges you have had over the years of running the event?
The major challenge we have been having over the years is money, we need a lot of money to run the event and to prepare awards for the Contestants. Money is our biggest challenge, I believe that if there is enough money, the running of the event would be smoother.
What are you anticipating from ESPU IDOL in years to come?
In few years to come I can envision ESPU IDOL as an event that would be displayed on the Television just like the Nigerian Idol. I anticipate it to be like that in few years to come, it would have full media coverage and be on DSTV, which would move Edo State Polytechnic ahead of other schools.
Who are the Sponsors of ESPU IDOL?
The Rector of the Polytechnic Prof. Abiodun Falodun is interested in ESPU IDOL Season 6, he was impressed with the way the last season progressed and also the performances of the students, he was so impressed that he promised to sponsor the Season 6 of ESPU IDOL.
ESPU IDOL is proudly sponsored by EDO STATE POLYTECHNIC MANAGEMENT, MR OSAROBO OSAYAMEN, MR ATIKA IMMACULATE (CREED’S HUB), LOGO EXCHANGE, TIGER FIT, MR BAINMENE GODSTIME MIYEBI, MR EBOH EHIS EROMOSELE, BAINMENE PRECIOUS and so many other companies, dignitaries and Individuals that are also interested in the event.
Do you have any platform in place to keep in touch with past contestants and winner and also monitor their progress?
Yes, even some of our Judges for ESPU IDOL Season 6 are past contestants, in fact some of ESPU IDOL past winners would be coming for the next season to perform we will be recording albums for them, we have studios that work with us, where we can record their songs, after recording we help them market it.
Is there any social media handle you use for publicity and you think we should know of?
Yes, we have Instagram account ESPU IDOL, Facebook account ESPU IDOL, Twitter account ESPU IDOL, Tiktok account ESPU IDOL and Snapchat account ESPU IDOL.
So proud of Edo State Polytechnic, we are gradually coming up a with a full force, that’s a great appreciation to Uncle Emma. I believe ESPU IDOL Season 6 will be a great one.